AMHERST, N.Y -- The Daemen University women's volleyball team defeated Molloy 3-1 (25-23, 21-25, 25-21, 25-21) on Saturday afternoon at Lumsden Gymnasium. The Wildcats and Lions both hit 51 kills in the match but Daemen finished with advantages in aces (10-5), total blocks (10-4) and hitting percentage (.204-.165). With the win, the Wildcats improve to 15-10 overall and 7-4 in ECC play and clinch a spot in the ECC Tournament next weekend, to be held Nov. 13-14 in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. by the ECC regular season champion Mercy Mavericks.
Early in the first, sophomore outside hitter
Mina Faw (Williamsburg, Va.) put the Wildcats ahead with kills on the first two points, and the set stayed in the Wildcats' favor as freshman outside hitter
Audrey Johnson (Mequon, Wisc.) added consecutive kills before teaming with freshman middle hitter
Etana Murray (Binghamton, N.Y.) on a block for a 9-5 lead. Molloy kept the margin close, but the Wildcats moved ahead 18-13 behind a Molloy service error, another Johnson-Murray block and a block by junior right side
Payton Gaylor (Bowmanville, Ont.). The Wildcats led 23-19 after an kill from junior outside hitter
Avery Craig (Tomball, Tex.) and an ace by junior middle blocker
Vera Tops (Senigallia, Italy) before Molloy scored three straight points to get within one, 23-22, but Faw answered with a kill for set point and Craig closed the set with a kill for a 25-23 win.
The Lions scored the first three points of the second set before the Wildcats worked back to a 6-6 tie on a kill from senior middle blocker Amelia Gonzalez (Juana Diaz, P.R.) and an ace from senior setter
Molly Ryan (Orchard Park, N.Y.). The Wildcats later moved in front 10-9 after consecutive Molloy attack errors, the second on a block by sophomore middle
Jolie Faw (Williamsburg, Va.), but Molloy answered and pushed ahead 14-11. The Lions extended the margin to 20-14 before the Wildcats scored four straight points, getting a kill and an ace from Craig and a kill from Gonzalez to cut the deficit to 20-18. The Wildcats stayed within 22-20 on kills by Gaylor and Johnson, but Molloy closed the set 25-21.
Third set, Johnson's service ace and two
Jolie Faw kills helped the Wildcats move in front 4-1 early, but Molloy worked back to ties at 6-6, 7-7, 8-8 and 9-9 before taking a 10-9 lead. The Wildcats answered with a Craig kill, a
Mina Faw kill and a block by
Jolie Faw and Craig to go ahead 12-10, then later used two kills and a block by Gaylor during a stretch that pushed the lead to 19-14. Molloy cut the gap to 21-20, keeping the set tight late, but the Wildcats scored four of the final five points, with
Mina Faw putting down two kills and junior libero
Olivia Urbon (Chicago, Ill.) finishing the set with a service ace for a 25-21 win.
The Wildcats moved in front 4-1 in the fourth set behind an Urbon service ace and a block by Craig and Gonzalez, but Molloy stayed close and got within 7-6. After Molloy reached 9-7, the Wildcats won seven of the next eight rallies to build a 16-8 lead, with Craig and
Jolie Faw recording kills and Urbon adding another ace during the stretch. Daemen kept their foot on the gas in the middle of the set with a Gaylor kill and four straight points on
Avery Craig's serve, including a Johnson kill, to go up 23-12. Molloy scored the next eight points to pull within 23-20 before Gaylor supplied the Wildcats' final two points on kills, closing the set 25-21.
IMPACT PLAYERS
- Gaylor led the Wildcats offensively with 13 kills on 37 attacks for a .216 hitting percentage, adding two solo blocks and four digs.
- Craig finished with 12 kills and just three errors to hit .243 on the day, chipping in 20 digs for the second straight match as well as an ace, one solo block and two block assists.
- Mina Faw totaled 11 kills to hit .320 and added one solo block and four digs.
- Urbon finished with four aces and nine digs today.
- Ryan led the way with 19 assists, six digs and an ace. Senior setter Maddie Schamaun (Rockville, Md.) totaled 15 assists, one ace and eight digs.
UP NEXT
The Wildcats will host Queens on Sunday, Nov. 8 at 11 AM in their final match of the regular season. Daemen will honor four seniors,
Maddie Schamaun,
Kate Trueblood,
Molly Ryan and Amelia Gonzalez, before the match for Senior Day.
